nodnarb1978 - Slashdot User

Robots Fly Over Antarctica 45

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @09:16PM from the the-mountains-of-madness dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have successfully run a series of flights by autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Antarctica. These robotic planes have a 2-meter wingspan and weigh 6 kilograms. They are powered by Lithium Ion Polymer (LIPo) battery packs — similar to the ones in your cellphones or laptops. So far, these autonomous UAVs have completed about 20 flights lasting 40 minutes each. These robots can fly over 45 kilometers while taking about 100 measurements per second about the exchange of heat between the lower atmosphere and sea ice. According to one of the scientists, 'the future of atmospheric research will be robotic.'"

Comment Does AA have a Cardboard Box? (Score 2, Funny) 379

by nodnarb1978 on Sunday January 20, 2008 @05:40PM (#22120010) Attached to: Training From America's Army Game Saved a Life

Everything I needed to know about warfare and life I learned from Metal Gear. Yeah, that's right. The original.

You can infiltrate classified military installations by disguising yourself as an innocuous cardboard box. There's nothing more indispensable than a pack of smokes. And nothing in the entire arsenal of the Military-Industrial Complex is as singularly lethal as a ninja.

Submission + - Montana says no to Real ID, passes law to deny it

Submitted by SoCalChris on Wednesday April 18, 2007 @02:09PM

SoCalChris writes: Montana's governor signed a bill yesterday saying "no, nope, no way, hell no" to the Real ID Act. House Bill 287 (pdf) requires the Montana Motor Vehicle Division to not implement the provisions of the Real ID Act, and to report to the governor any attempts by any agent or agency of the Department of Homeland Security to attempt to implement the bill. Montana is the first state to implement such a law, the Billings Gazette has more info

Submission + - Australia Outlaws Incandescent Lightbulb

Submitted by

passthecrackpipe

on Tuesday February 20, 2007 @05:05AM

passthecrackpipe writes: "The Australian Government is planning on making the incandescent ligtbulb a thing of the past. In three years time, standard lightbulbs will no longer be available for sale in the shops in Australia (expect a roaring grey market) and everybody will be forced to switch to more energy efficient Fluorescent bulbs. In this move to try and curb emissions, the incandescent bulb — which converts the majority of used energy to heat rather then light — will be phased out. Environmental groups have given this plan a lukewarm reception. They feel Australia should sign on to the Kyoto protocol first. (Article in Dutch). A similar plan was created together with Phillips, one of the worlds largest lighting manufacturers. What do other slashdotters think? Is this a move in the right direction? Will this boost the development of better fluorescent bulbs? Improve the design and lower the costs of LED lightbulbs? Will this plan make a big difference to the environment at all?"

Submission + - Europe's Plan to Track Phone and Net Use

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 20, 2007 @03:50AM

An anonymous reader writes: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/business/worldbu siness/20privacy.html February 20, 2007 Europe's Plan to Track Phone and Net Use PARIS, Feb. 19 — European governments are preparing legislation to require companies to keep detailed data about people's Internet and phone use that goes beyond what the countries will be required to do under a European Union directive. In Germany, a proposal from the Ministry of Justice would essentially prohibit using false information to create an e-mail account, making the standard Internet practice of creating accounts with pseudonyms illegal.

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